City of Cause and Effect
by ZeroDrawn
Summary: On a trip to earth gone wrong, Laharl wakes to find himself stranded in a skyscraper filled city, his friends missing. Some violence and language. Takes place some time after the end of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. [Chapter 5 finally up! Reviews appriciated
1. Prologue Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story; they belong to Atlus Inc. and Nippon Ichi Software. I am only using them to write a fictional work which does not garner any profit or is sold in any way, shape, or form. I own the story but not the characters in it. The sole purpose of this story if for my personal enjoyment, and for the enjoyment of those who read it.

**Other Notes: This story contains some language, violence (not gory), and extreme emotion at certain points. I believe the rating is appropriate, however, if it is not, I would like to be informed as such and will correct the matter. This is my first Fic submitted to and I hope it goes well! I plan to add more chapters soon here.**

Disgaea: City of Cause and Effect

Chapter 1: Prologue Part 1

A cold gust of wind blew against his face, and Prince/Overlord Laharl slowly opened his eyes, vision blurry, and concentration fuzzy, unclear. He grunted uncomfortably, a sharp pain in his back. Mustering the strength he could manage, Laharl pushed himself up and away from the wall, coming unsteadily to his feet, just as some very vivid pain shot through his head.

"Ahh! What the hell…?" he spoke, reaching up slowly, he touched his forehead, pulling away almost immediately from the wounded, tender spot. Bringing his hand closer to his face, he could see blood on it. "Whoever did this is going to get it…" Quite suddenly, his eyes became wide as he looked around frantically, and called out. "Hey! Flonne? Etna? Gordon? Where are you guys?" There was no response, only Laharl's echoing voice richeoting off the sides of the buildings surrounding him.

_What's going on here…? _He thought to himself. Eyes running along the horizon, he began scanning his surroundings. All around him there were skyscrapers of every shape and size, but most of them were crumbling and looked condemned. The air was different here, he also noticed, because it had a strange blue, misty tint that gave it a dark, quiet feel.

He could see no signs of life around him, and his own breathing, along with the calm but constant wind flow, were the only things he could hear. "Alright Laharl…think…how did you get here…?" he spoke to himself. His memory was cloudy. It was like, he had a general picture of what had happened prior to this, but no specifics, no details. He knew he had been with Flonne, Etna, Gordon, Jennifer, Thursday, and Hoggmeiser, but he could not remember why.

"Augh! I don't have time to sit and think…I gotta find em!" Shaking his head to clear both his vision and his thoughts, he looked about for any clues, any direction. But every direction looked generally the same, just more and more buildings. "Damnit…" Cupping his hands to his mouth, he called out again. "Flonne! Etna! Anybody out there?" The only response he received was his own echoing voice. Though uncommon for Laharl, now he was beginning to get genuinely worried. "Come on guys! Where are you?"

Laharl began walking through the myriad of skyscrapers, looking about as he went along, searching for any sign of something, or someone that could lead him to his friends. His calls continued as he went along, his distantly echoed reply sure to have been heard by anyone within at least a mile, or so he believed.

He noticed strangely for the first time that he was in a human environment, or what appeared to be one, albeit unusual. Laharl could not, for the life of him, understand why he and his friends would come here. He still couldn't remember. Generally, the Prince preferred to stay in the Netherworld. On occasion he would go with Flonne to visit Celestia, and sometimes he himself would travel to Alternate Netherworld, but never did he go to the Human world.

In all truth, the human world disgusted him. The humans were slowly killing it off with their pollutants and general passive nature with the overuse of its natural resources. In time, they would no more have a planet to live on, for they will have completely dried it up before long. Things were different in the Netherworld. With all Demons falling under the unquestioned rule of one central Overlord, who was now Laharl himself, things were in better order, strict, and arranged. Demons are, quite surprisingly, concerned with the care of their home. Not to say the Netherworld didn't have its share of troublemakers, but when some did arise, Laharl would be there to strike them down. Simple as that.

Having been walking for at least fifteen minutes now, Laharl still found no signs of his friends, just more and more diaplated skyscrapers. What was with the skyscrapers, seriously? At that very moment, he heard a scream echo throughout the air, and he spun around, sure it came from behind him. It sounded like…."FLONNE!" Without further hesitation, he burst off, running at full speed in the direction of the scream. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Deep down, Laharl hoped everything would be alright. But it wouldn't. For, you see, someone had plans for him. _Maybe she's okay…maybe she just woke up like I did… _This was Laharl's thought, as he ran full speed between the skyscrapers, and into the blue. "FLONNE! PLEASE, WHERE ARE YOU!"


	2. Prologue Part 2

Author Notes: **Regarding my first and only review (Thanks, by the way, I really appreciate it!), I'm not too well versed in the rules of writing, as this is my first FanFiction/Public work, more-or-less an experimental stage, but I checked against some other fics, and will now be writing my dialogue in the spoken-text-has-it's-own-paragraph style. As for the word Diaplated, I've heard it used on occasion and believe it means "Rickety, weak foundation, ready to fall." I probably mutilated the spelling though. At any rate, don't expect it to be used a lot, so it shouldn't be a problem**.

**I'd also like to mention that the reason my Prologue's are Chapters is because the chapter system has no kind of Chapter 0 or Prologue selection, and it would look weird if I used, say, Chapter's 1 and 2 for Prologue and Chapter 3 for Chapter 1. Confusing, huh?**

**Notes about this chapter: Non-romantic minor kiss scene. A bit of non-bloody violence and violent threats.**

Chapter 2: Prologue Part 2

Laharl was frantic, almost chaotic. He looked in every direction, listened for any and every sounds, tried to locate any possible clues of Flonne's whereabouts. It was his priority to find her and ensure her safety, as well as the safety of his Vassals. Though he never really talked too much about it, or expressed his feelings very often, they were indeed his friends, and those of whom he cared very much about, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"Flonne!" he called yet again, but still, received no answer.

His running slowed to a jog. Both because he was becoming tired, and because he did not want to accidentally pass a possibly unconscious Flonne by. He realized, at this point, how easy it would be to lose your way in this labyrinth of skyscrapers. Buildings and more buildings as far as the eye could see, which wasn't too far considering the blue fog like haze.

Finally he came to a standstill, looking in every direction. Could it have been just something in his head? Did he really hear Flonne scream, or was this place just messing with his head?

_No way…I'm not crazy…I know I heard her… _Laharl thought to himself.

Laharl's eyes lit up, as an idea came to him, and he looked down.

_The pendant! _

Yes, the pendant Flonne had given him as a gift. It's original intent was allowing Flonne to survive in the Netherworld, for normally, Angels were incapable of dwelling in the Netherworld for very long, else they would die. However, ever since Flonne had been restored by Seraph, she had developed a sort of "Immunity" to the Netherworld, and no longer required the pendant, which she had given to Laharl, to go there. Laharl hoped that somehow the Pendant could lead him to Flonne.

Slowly, he raised the pendant into the air, and held it far out in front of him, slowly turning counterclockwise. Slowly…slowly…there! He felt it, the Pendant suddenly grew a bit warmer, and glowered just the tiniest amount. While he could not be sure if it would lead him to Flonne, it was his only chance. Pointing the pendant straight ahead, he began walking at a rather fast pace, and as he did, he could feel the Pendant's warmth increasing, the glow strengthening. This had to be it! This had to lead to Flonne!

At that, Laharl took off at a run. Before long, he came upon an area of the place that was different from the pattern of buildings seen everywhere else. It was a small, upraised concrete circle, with cobblestone walkways leading to the center, four wooden benches set at the very edges of the round rising, and what appeared to be a water well situated right in the middle. The pendant was warm to the point of almost being hot, and glowing fiercily. Flonne had to be around here, somewhere.

"Hey, Flonne! Where are you?" No answer.

Laharl continued to scan his surroundings, and with no sign of Flonne, came upon the possibility that she could be in the wall. While not familiar with the common human story of "Falling into a Well", it was an obvious possibility being the only enclosure around. He was about to investigate, but just as he took a step forward, footsteps went by behind him, as if someone had run by.

"Who's there?" Laharl called out as he spun around, but no answer came. "Flonne? Is that you?" Still, nothing.

Yet again he heard running, on the opposite side of the concrete raising. But this time, he also heard girlish giggling, which was, unmistakably, Flonne's voice.

"Flonne, are you playing games with me?" He shouted.

Now his fear had turned into a bit of anger. It was, after all, a little irritating to be mislead into thinking that someone was in danger when in truth they were playing tricks on you.

"Come on, I don't have time for this!" His words were met with more giggling. "This is stupid. You better cut it out or I'm going to leave you here, Flonne."

The giggling and footsteps stopped. Laharl thought for a moment that the games would end. In the distance, he could now see a figure approaching. Definitely Flonne.

"What's the matter with you? Sheesh…love freak and a weirdo…come on! Hurry up and get ove—"

Laharl found himself cut short as the figure abruptly appeared in front of him, face to face, staring at him directly.

"Whoa…what happened to YOU?" Laharl commented.

The figure before him appeared to be Flonne, but a few things were also very different about her. A shadowy aura surrounded her body, traveling upwards in windlike wisps. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, tinted red. Most noticeable of all, however, was that she was not wearing her bright, pretty white dress, but a dark, funeral-esque black dress. She wore a frown on her face, and continued to stare at Laharl, saying nothing.

"Did you go all out Demon or something? Cause if you did, that'd be gre—"

Again he had been cut off, but this time it was not by Flonne, more specifically, it was her lips, firmly pressed against Laharls own for a split second, before she broke off, and resumed staring at him.

"HEY! Wha…what was THAT for? Uggghhh! Why did you do that?" Laharl shouted in disgust, as he spat repeatedly onto the ground. "Egghhhh!"

The strange Dark Flonne lowered her head and stared at the ground, blinking softly a few times.

"You didn't like it…?" she spoke, her voice in a double tone, one of her own, but one of someone else, a much darker, sinister voice.

"Are you feeling alright…?" Laharl questioned, still wiping his mouth off from the rather "disturbing" experience.

"You don't like me Laharl…" she said, still focused upon the ground.

"Huh? Wha…what! You know I…of course I…how could I…ARGH! WHATS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" he yelled, as he grabbed onto her shoulders and shook her.

Perhaps this was not the best course of action, for Flonne recoiled sharply, and looked at Laharl, her eyes now burning with an intensive hate.

"Never touch me…" Her fists clenched as she spoke, and her voice shifted more to the sinister, razor sharp claws extending from her fingers. "I'll tear you into pieces…"

Without a chance to react, Dark Flonne threw her hands forward, sending a wave of shadow energy, slamming into Laharl and knocking him down onto his back.

"HEY!" he shouted in annoyed protest, but that was all he could get out, as Dark Flonne leaped for the Prince, claws extended.

Laharl rolled out of the way, and regained footing quickly, raising his fists. Though he never wanted to bring any harm to Flonne, he would have to stop her somehow, otherwise SHE would end up killing HIM. At guard and ready, Laharl braced himself as Dark Flonne turned and charged.


	3. Prologue Part 3

**Author Notes: Wow, thanks for the nice reviews! Not only do they make me feel confident in my writing, and give me some pretty sound advice, but they also give me the drive I need to continue the story and come up with more ideas. So, again, a major thanks, it helps me a ton. :) I'd also like to note that school takes up much of my time, so I am sorry if there is sizeable delays between chapters.**

**Notes about this chapter: Small amount of gore (bodily injury, depiction of blood) but to no extreme. More violence and violent threats. I'm keeping to my original intent not to make this super bloody and gross, just realistic in the sense that wounds HURT. Also, I refer to Dark Flonne as both "Flonne" and "Dark Flonne" interchangeably. I know the prologue is a bit long, but I'm writing up till a point where I can find it suitable to end the prologue and begin the chapters. I wonder if anyone will recognize the little something I've added to this chapter…? Let's just say I'm a fan of what I believe to be a very underappreciated game. :) A new disclaimer will be added in the next chapter, so please don't sue, I'm broke. :(  
**

Chapter 3: Prologue Part 3

Dark Flonne charged, claws outstretched and ready to slice into Laharl like a knife through butter. Quickly the Prince dodged to the side, but Dark Flonne skidded to a halt, whirled around, and delivered a painful slash right across his cheek, leaving behind four red gashes.

"AHHH!" Laharl cried as he reached up and grasped his face. The cuts seared with an ungodly burn. Obviously, her claws did more than just cut. "Grrrr…I'll make you pay for that!" Laharl said as he brought back his hand, and hurled forward a burst of red energy.

Dark Flonne raised both her hands in defense, and somehow caught the blast with an intangible field. The projectile floated in front of her for a moment, before the red energy suddenly turned to the same type of Shadow energy that she was composed of.

"I'll kill you…I'LL KILL YOU!" Dark Flonne screamed in a horrible rage as she released the blast back at Laharl. He was far too shocked by her words to react to the blast, and it hit him right in the stomach, exploding in a cloud of black mist, and knocking him backwards, though he remained standing.

The prince nearly keeled over from the immense pain caused by the burn of the Shadow energy. Backing away, Laharl gripped his stomach, and groaned. _Why does it hurt so much…? It's just negative energy! I'm surrounded by it every day in the netherworld! _He kept his eye on Dark Flonne, who was just staring at him. _What's with her? I've never seen her act even close to this!_

"Alright, fine then! If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" With this, Laharl leaped high into the air, soaring directly above her, and raised his fist, thick red energy gathering into his palm. His hand suddenly became surrounded by flame, as a powerful force burned within him. "Here goes!" Reorienting himself, his jump turned into a direct dive towards Dark Flonne, fist out in front of him, blazing with an angry vigor.

Dark Flonne simply looked up, and frowned, as a barrier of shadow encircled her, and rose above her, to form a protective dome. Laharl's descent ended sharply as his fist met with the shield, the energy in Laharl's hand beginning to backfire and turn to shadow. The prince pushed as hard as he could, but the barrier held up strong, and without warning, the energy he was wielding exploded in a burst of shadowy fury that threw him back into the air, and left to go careening into the ground, landing hard and rolling to a stop.

The shield that surrounded Dark Flonne dissipated, and she watched the prince, being very quiet at this point. Laharl managed to get himself up on one knee, and wiped a trail of blood away from his mouth.

"You're…you're just insane, you know that? I always thought you were weird, Flonne…but even this is going too far!" he said, as he got to his feet again, though noticeably a bit more wobbly before. _How does she do that…every time I try to hit her, she reverses it… _

Suddenly, Dark Flonne took a few steps forward, a smile across her face, as she began to speak again. "Oh Laharl…" she paused. "Oh I'm so so sorry Laharl…can you forgive me?"

The Prince's eyebrows rose a little bit. "You try to kill me, and now you're telling me you're SORRY?"

"You…you don't forgive me?" Now, Flonne was becoming seriously dangerous. For her eyes turned blood red, and she was seething with absolute rage, so much so that the clenching of her fists was causing her claws to dig into her hands and blood to seep out. "You're so mean…so mean…why do you have to be so MEAN?" Raising her fists into the air, she brought them down onto the ground, and caused a small-area earthquake, a fissure rippling forth towards Laharl.

He barely had time to react, but he managed to jump and roll to the side. Now Laharl knew, this definitely was NOT Flonne. She was displaying a level of strength and emotion completely uncharacteristic of her. Leaning down, and putting his arms up to guard, Laharl readied himself as Flonne began to suck in air, leaning herself backwards and preparing for something.

At that moment, Dark Flonne bellowed forth a horrifyingly loud scream that pierced the air, and sent ripples distorting everything around it. Laharl's hands went immediately to his ears, but that could not block out the terrifying sound, forcing him to his knees.

"AUGHHH!" His cry of pain went unheard, however, as the sound was just too great. After what seemed like minutes, but was only a matter of seconds, the screaming stopped, and Laharl fell forward, face against the ground, breathing heavily.

Dark Flonne seemed to be calming down again, her eyes returning to a lesser red color. "Laharl…why don't you love me? Why do you have to be so mean to me for…?" Her voice was almost weak at this point, and full of sadness.

That did it. Now the Prince was PISSED. Leaping to his feet, he stared straight at Flonne. "You wanna know why? CAUSE YOU'RE NOT FLONNE!" With this, he raised both his arms into the air, and streams of red energy began to collect into a sphere that was forming just above his palms. After the sphere had grown suitably large enough, it broke apart and split into many smaller orbs of energy that hung in the air all above him.

Dark Flonne backed up a step, fear in her eyes, and tears running down her cheeks. "Laharl…please…please don't hurt me Laharl! I love you…please!" She begged her voice full of terror and sadness.

Laharl paused for a moment, the energy still suspended above him. "Flonne…" He spoke, beginning to lower his arms.

"Yay…I knew you loved me!" Dark Flonne spoke, her eyes sparkling with happiness, but not so noticeably, her claws becoming longer.

"Flonne…" said the prince again, and suddenly, a sly smile crossed his face. "DROP DEAD!" he yelled, as he threw his arms forward, and unleashed the blasts of energy, all of them flying straight towards Flonne, and combining into one, giant sphere, just before slamming into the despicable creature, and exploding in a dazzling display of power.

"I…HATE….YOUUUUUU!" Screamed Dark Flonne, as she had been unprepared to block the blast, and it consumed her, enveloping her completely in a field of destructive magnificence. As the smoke cleared away from the blast zone, there was nothing left except Dark Flonne's dress, which shriveled up and disappeared in a cloud of shadow.

Rolling his eyes, the prince turned around, and crossed his arms, grinning. "Hah hah hah hah! That's what you get for trying to take on Overlord Laharl! Hah hah hah HAH HAH HAHAHAHAHA---OOMF!" He was cut off quite sharply, as some unknown figure slammed his shoulder into the Prince's back, and forced him to the ground, before jumping off and landing a few feet away. Righting himself, and spinning around, Laharl saw his assailant, but felt his balance was off, the injury caused to his stomach earlier having not near healed. "Who the heck are YOU?"

The man was a strange one indeed. He appeared to be anywhere from five foot five to six feet tall. He had bright red hair that grew WAY off his head in a cone shape, ending in perfect spikes at the tip, white eyes with wide irises and black pupils, a long nose that was pointed at the tip; he wore a sort of blue tuxedo with wide sleeves, and white ruffles running down the center of it. He also donned a strange green orb just below his chin against his neck. His most unusual feature was the fact that his left hand was a deep purple in color, and his fingers ended in long, very thin, claws that dripped with purplish ooze.

"Oh ho ho ho…me? I'm not important, oh no, not at all. This is all about you, Overlord." The man spoke, producing a rose from under his suit and sniffing at it. "Yes, all about you. I was watching that whole fight, you know. You did very poorly, up until the end. I surely would have thought you would lower your guard, but how wrong I was! You are not so swayed by emotions to let them cloud your judgment completely, oh no."

Laharl was getting annoyed. "Whatever you're babbling about, I don't care! Either tell me where my Vassals are, or get out of my way!"

The stranger sighed, closing his eyes and smiling lightly, bringing the rose up to smell it again. "I wish I could, Overlord, I so wish I could. But, I cannot. I must see more of what you can do…see if you're…worthy. Yes, worthy…"

Rolling his eyes, Laharl turned around and began walking away. "How annoying can you get..? Sheesh!"

Smelling the rose one last time, the man dropped it on the ground, and slowly brought his arm back, green lightning swirling around his arm. "I must see your ability, Overlord, even if you do not comply." He paused for a moment, as Laharl stopped walking. "Now…time to test your mettle!" At saying this, he threw his arm forward in an upwards curve. "KILL WAVE!" The green lightning converged and formed into a tidal-wave like current that traveled along the ground, straight for Laharl.


	4. Prologue Part 4

**Disclaimer: The characters Megido, Zohar Sandalphon, Zohar Metatron, and all Silhouette Mirage related characters are property of Treasure. Please don't sue me. I lack any sort of treasure of my own. AKA, I have no money.**

**Author Notes: Been a little while, yes, I apologize. School is still a big factor I have to deal with, and it really kills my writing inspiration. I do enough writing on the homework alone. :( As for the title being unrelated to the story, I have some chapters planned out ahead in my mind that will have something to do with the city. I've got a real nice story angle for it, though "Cause and Effect" might relate to something different than you would think. For the most part, this is still an experimental Fic, and I'm playing with different ideas, right now is the crossover idea, though it looks like nobody knew who that character was (The first disclaimer might help, unless you've absolutely never played such an underappreciated game. ). Also, Laharl/Flonne scenes, at this moment I don't know, but I could not say that anyways cause it would be a spoiler, however minor or major. :P This chapter may feel a bit rushed, but I've got to get out of the prologues and into the main story. Xx**

**Chapter Notes: Minor cursing, sexual reference, death scene.**

Chapter 4: Prologue Part 4

The surge of lightning hurtled towards Laharl, but he spun around, and raised his arms, holding them out and spreading his fingers, palms open.

"Not enough!" The prince called out, and as he did, the Kill Wave channeled up into his hands, absorbing into the tips of his fingers and entering his body, causing him to glow green for a second. "Hah!" Lowering his arms, Laharl snickered and grinned.

The strange man began clapping, nodding his head slowly and smiling. "Very good Overlord! You responded to my attack very promptly. Unfortunately, you are not watching your back, and this will cost you a fair injury in consequence. So sorry." As he said this, Laharl spun around, just in time to see a cluster of pink energy slam into him and send him sprawling backwards, dazed and confused.

"Ahhhh!" Laharl called out, shaking off the trails of wispy pink that were still clinging to him. "Oh what now? More? You brought more people here? ISN'T THIS PLACE SUPPOSED TO BE ALL DESERTED AND…CRAP?"

"Temper, temper, child! I'm sure you'll like our special guest…I believe she's a friend of yours, and she's been just dying to see you. No really! DYING!" The man cackled psychotically, and his demeanor changed some, his eyes glowing a dark red. "So so sad, really. I wanted to test you myself. Even hoping to kill you. But I shall leave that up to her. Come on out, girlie girl."

Saying this, a figure emerges from the shadows, a pink aura flowing around her and illuminating her.

"Etna?" Laharl's eyes were widened, and he backed up a step. _Oh come on…not this scenario again._

As Etna came into full view, it was obvious she had been changed too. She dawned on her a tight, studded leather outfit, much resembling one a dominatrix would wear. Small gems, what appeared to be diamonds, ran down the length of her legs on the suit, and he wore on her head a crown, as well as a tiara decorated with a large emerald in the center. Perhaps completing the whole domination image was the fact that she was carrying a whip in her right hand, and wearing a spiked knuckle in her left.

"Ohhhh Priiiiinnnncccceee…how do'ya like my new outfit? I thought it'd be just right for you! I know you're into this sort of thing." She grinned devilishly and cracked the whip. "Or so that picture would tell us."

The overlord's eyes became widened and his cheeks red. "Hey! You…you shut up about that!" For the moment, he forgot about the dangerous position he was in, caught up in embarrassment.

"Awwww, poor thing! Poor poor widdle baaaaabbbbiiiieee!" Etna taunted him and laughed, sticking her tongue out and pulling up an eyelid. "Pffffbbbbbttttt!"

"Hey! Stop that! Are you on something?" This was really starting to get on Laharl's nerves. What began as a deserted, destroyed city, was now slowly gaining populace in the form of possessed friends and "psychotic gentlemen", as it was.

Laharl could not have prepared himself for what happened next, as Etna grabbed her head, and screamed in agony, falling to her knees. Violently shaking her, it was like she was trying to force something out of her. "Pr…PRINCE! You…RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! YOU CAN'T STAY HERE! PLEASE, PRINCE!" Tears were streaming down Etna's eyes, and she appeared to be in a great deal of pain.

The Prince was about to rush to Etna's side, but he found a sword suddenly pressed against his back, and he froze. A voice like nothing he had ever heard before came from his yet-unseen assailant. "The future of this world…of your world…of my world…the future of your friends…your family…and the one you love…depend on you." It sounded low, the voice of a male. But it had an aura to it, like it was coming from the mouth of a great beast. It was not loud, but unnatural.

Etna buried her face in the ground, crying quietly. "Prince…we should not have come here…this wasn't our business…I'm sorry…"

Laharl could not move, for if he did, he risked death by the blade that held him there. "I don't understand any of this…everything is just so damn confusing in this place!" The blade pressed a bit harder, and Laharl remained still, waiting for an opportunity to escape and save Etna.

"You do not remember why you came here. You are confused and you do not understand the events that have transpired thus far. In due time, these things you will know. But here your journey must begin. You have a new purpose, and it is not overlord that you were born to be. You were born to save us. To save us all."

The prince was enraged. Who in the nine hells did this person think he was? Telling Laharl what HIS purpose was? "Just….SHUT THE HELL UP!" He whirled around, kicked the sword out of the attacker's hand, and forced a blast of pure destructive force at the foe. But as the blast collided with the now floating figure, it simply vanished. "Not this again! Come on, can't you guys be hurt?"

"Your journey must begin. You…are already late." The enemy was a strange one indeed, even more so than the gentleman. He was a short, floating, humanoid looking person, with a pale white face and a long pointed nose. On his body he wore a sort of purple armor that was custom designed for him. The armor extended out onto plates that ended in sharp points on his shoulders. He wore a helmet that was in much the same fashion as the armor, and it went up into two long spikes that extended up and off his head. The humanoid had golden blonde hair that was perfectly straightened and extended down his back. His eyes, however, seemed to define him the most. Red eyes, with pink irises centered on pitch black pupils, they contained within them both a very deep, dark evil, but also something else…

A new blade appeared in the assailants hands, but this one was not made out of metal. It seemed more like a beam, fashioned into the likeness of a blade.

"This is all very confusing, isn't it Prince? Your entire life is going to change. I'm sorry it has to be so quick like this. Time is of the essence, however, and there is little I can do to change it." He spoke.

Laharl fumed, and finally lost it, bringing his fist back, he slammed it forward, right into the floating figure's face. The humanoid recoiled, bringing up his arms to shield him. "Tell me what's going on! This is all just stupid and I want some answers NOW! Where are the rest of my Vassals?"

The humanoid lunged forward, grabbing Laharl by the throat, and slowly floating into the air. "Listen to me, and listen well, Prince. Your time in this world is already short; do NOT make it any shorter by angering me!" Spinning around, he flung the Overlord off into the distance, straight towards a building. However, the gentleman intercepted, and brought Laharl to an abrupt but safe stop with a field of energy.

"Zohar…" The gentleman spoke. "Now is not the time to be picking on the prince." Slowly, he lowered Laharl to the ground, and dropped him. The Overlord was obviously not too happy about this, and spouted some curse words at the two. "Give him the answers he wants, or else I am afraid he'll have a tantrum."

Zohar crossed his arms and grinned. "Yeah, alright then. You get the abridged version. My name is Zohar Metatron, and that man is Megido. We don't need to go into longwinded details about who we our, but suffice to say, you have to listen to us now, Prince." Cackling with mocking pleasure, Zohar traced his sword across the ground, cutting a fine line into the concrete.

Stomping his foot, Laharl shook his head. "You? You're both just a couple of weirdoes. I don't have to listen to you. This is really stupid, I'm gone. Come on Etna!" But as he turned around, Etna was standing up again, slowly moving the whip back and forth, chuckling softly, her eyes closed, tears going down her cheeks ever still. It was like she had two completely different emotions going on at once.

"Your Vassals could not handle this place as you could, Prince. I'm afraid they are no longer the ones you knew before. In fact, with further passage of time, the ones you knew will no longer exist." Megido snickered softly, brushing the petals of the rose along his lips. "You remain unaffected by the power of this city. By it's curse. That's why you have to be the one to stop it."

But Laharl ignored him. Instead, he ran to Etna, and reached for her hand, to lead her out of there. It would not be so, however, as she reared the whip back, and snapped it across his face, causing him a bellow of pain, and forcing him onto his knees. "I'm sorry…" Her words were sincere, but it was like she could no longer control herself. Lifting her foot, she planted her heel on Laharl's chest and forced him to lie down on the ground, the immense pain from the whip having stunned him.

Zohar approached steadily, still wielding his blade. "I guess we will do this the hard way. He won't cooperate. Any objections, Megido?"

Clutching the rose, Megido came to stand over the prince. Bending down, he lightly placed the flower on Laharl's forehead, then stood up straight and looked away. "Go on. I do say it's quite brutish…but, eh, for the good of the world, no?"

Laughing, Zohar raised his blade into the air. "It is not this world I care about, Megido. Remember that." Pausing for a moment, Zohar sighed lightly. "We can't explain it all to you now, Overlord, but you will understand. Now…sleep well." Without any further hesitation, Zohar plunged the blade, right into Laharl's chest. His eyes became wide as the steel entered his body, and he clutched at the blade. Etna fell to her knees, and screamed, covering her eyes and sobbing quietly.

It was unfair. Laharl still knew nothing of what was going on, and now, as he was slipping into the dark void of death, he didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to his Vassals. His eyes were closed tightly, and the pain started to fade away. Things were slowly becoming…peaceful. The prince never really expected to die anytime soon. Especially not in such a messed up situation. But…now that he thought about it…it wasn't as bad as he thought. It hurt…but that was going away. It was kind of like falling into a deep sleep.

He wondered how much longer he would be conscious. He wondered what would now happen to his Vassals. Thinking about it…were they really his Vassals anymore? He had always called them that…but he had been with them so long. Of course he did think of them as friends, too, but the subordinate mentality had still been there. But, maybe, maybe all along…he had thought himself…equal to them. They were more than his friends…they had become his family. Even hoggmeiser, strange as it would seem. He had no other family after all…

Was he just going to die in such a stupid situation? Was he just going to leave his family there, in that messed up place? Did he have a choice? Of course…of course he did! How could the Overlord succumb so easily to the blade? He was the ruler of the Netherworld! This was no way for someone like him to die…he had pride and he had family. Two things, he realized, that were extremely important to him.

He could feel the last bit of his conscious world fading away. Moments before falling into the darkness of death, the Prince had one last thought. _I'll come back for you guys. Count on it…_


	5. Cheating Death

**Author Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I hit a major writer's block, but it's done! Now, finally we're in the actual chapters. In response to the reviews, as for Etna escaping mind control, there is a reason for that, but can't tell you it now. I've never played Chain of Memories in my life, so it's just a coincidence. xP Oh and Silhouette Mirage is not the only crossover. Don't worry, I'm not turning this into a "Laharl meets Sonic meets Goku meets Cloud meets Superman meets Maximillian meets Bugs Bunny meets my Grandpa meets Fred Flintstone meets Cyborg George Washington meets Ferris Bueller" Fic. Let me just say this…if you've played Gunstar Heroes (and you should have), then you'll probably like the next crossover point. And because yall seem to want to know so much, this will be a Laharl/Thursday Fic. Yup, the raw, uninhibited, and passionate love between a demon prince and a buggy robot shall be unveiled! snickers truthfully, still don't know what the romance aspect will entail, however, just make sure you know that all the aforementioned Vassals are very important to the story.**

**Chapter Notes: Some more violence. Oo; Some non-heavy cursing.**

Chapter 5: Cheating Death

Things had been dark for a long time. Or was it really that long? The prince couldn't be sure. To tell the truth, passage of time was not relevant to him anymore. He was dead, what did he care? Being dead was not nearly as bad as he thought it would be. It was quiet, dark, and boring. He was not fully thought-capable, either. It was like…he COULD think of stuff…but whenever he did, things were distant and fuzzy. Now, he just felt like a shell. A shell of his former self.

Something did puzzle him though. Why had he not been reaper'd yet? Or turned into a Prinny? Though, as mentioned, the passage of time was irrelevant to him, he knew for a fact he had been here for longer than he should have. Whatever the case, for now, he would just enjoy it, as much as you could enjoy an all encompassing blackout of senses.

FLASH! Something new was happening…Laharl had no idea how long it had been since his last thought, but he realized now that the flash was a very vivid one. FLASH! Again! Completely unable to react except by thought, Laharl could do nothing but wait. FLASH! Suddenly he felt a pain shoot up his arm. Wait…pain? Arm? Up till this point, he had been completely disembodied. What was going on? Had the reaper come for him? FLASH! Pain! The other arm this time! FLASH! Now his whole body felt like it was on fire…

FLASH! Headache. Bad headache. FLASH! Ugh! A putrid smell entered his nostrils…NOSTRILS? SMELL? Something was definitely happening… FLASH! Oh, that sound! A horrible, grinding, grating noise that seemed to pierce right through his skull. FLASH! His body spasm'd, limbs flailing about. FLASH! Bright lights! Bright lights everywhere… FLASH! FLASH! FLASH FLASH FLASH!

FLASH! With the final flash, Laharl sprung up into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and looking around. All his senses were still foggy, but he knew that he was definitely alive. Suddenly, he lurched forward, and vomited onto the ground. The sensory overload had sickened him. After the brief but disturbing emptying of stomach. The Prince scrambled to his feet, and quickly brushed himself off, finally getting a good view of the place he was in.

Well, there really was not that much to see. He was suspended in an all-white void…in every direction, nothing but a white eternity. Below his feet was solid ground, he was sure of that, but that was the only thing he had to feel secure in this place. Was this limbo? It certainly did not feel like a bad, foreboding place…but it did not feel good, either. It seemed empty, and devoid of all presence. Or was it…?

Off in the distance, the Overlord noticed a figure walking in his direction. Was it another weirdo? Or maybe someone that could help him out? Laharl stood his ground, and waited, the distant silhouette coming ever nearer. Whoever it was continued to approach, becoming slightly clearer every moment. The prince thought it looked vaguely familiar, but could not be sure of whom it was.

Out of nowhere, the figure broke into a run, coming straight for Laharl. Now he was on guard, raising his fists and making himself ready for any kind of attack. A rush of wind, and the figure appeared instantly, a few steps in front of Laharl. NOW he knew who it was.

"Death…" The grim reaper. "You're a bit late, bonehead. I'm feeling pretty good now." Laharl taunted, lowering his guard and feeling relieved. He had no reason to be afraid now, what could the reaper do to the overlord of the underworld? Absolutely nothing. Or so he thought.

As if it was reading his mind, the Reaper spoke, its voice like a low, grumbling beast amongst a dark, howling wind. "Even those in your position must succumb to me one day. Your mother did. Your father did. Now it's your turn." The Prince, however, was unfazed, crossing his arms in defiance and grinning widely.

"Yeah well…It's not so easy to get me. I'm Overlord Laharl, and you're just some bag of bones with a boring ol' robe on and a silly little scythe. Go on, get outta here. I don't have time for you." He said as he made shooing motions with his hands. But the reaper merely raised its arm, and pointed a bony finger, firing forth a small beam of energy that hit Laharl in the shoulder.

The very moment it hit, the prince felt the left side of his body go completely numb, and he slumped down. "What the? What're you trying to pull, knucklehead!" Grim slowly reached into his robes, and drew out his deadly soul stealing scythe, bringing it back and aiming to snatch the partially paralyzed prince's soul away. "Stop that!"

With a mighty swing, one would have imagined that it was all over. But Laharl was not one to go so easily, as he pushed his bodyweight towards his good, right side, and rolled out of the way just as the razor sharp weapon sliced through the air. "Too slow!" He cried as he brought his hand back, and launched forward a medium powered burst of energy into the reapers stomach.

Grim reeled backwards, but with surprising reflexes for a skeleton, retaliated with yet another slash of the scythe aimed directly for Laharl's head. Ducking down again, the Prince preformed yet another right side roll, making good use of the unparalyzed part of his body. Gaining his balance pretty quickly, he was on two feet and ready to make another dodge. "Is that all you got, thick skull? I expected more from you! Hah! What a loser…" Even with part of his body useless, Laharl was cocky and confident as ever.

The reaper turned, and attempted once again with another attack utilizing his deadly blade. But as expected, the Prince continued to dodge and roll out of the way, making sure to stay on his right side, and to pummel the reaper with energy each time it got too close. Needless to say, ol' Grim was getting a bit peeved, its eyes glowing with a red fury. But the Overlord was just too skilled and too agile.

Death attempted a sweep under Laharl's feet, only to have him propel himself acrobatically off the ground with his right arm and land right on the Reaper's shoulders, forcing it to the ground. He was getting the feeling back in his body again, and now could move both arms. "Jeeze, what's with you? You couldn't hit the broad side of a Hoggmeiser, and your spells are a big YAWN. Can't find good Death these days…" At that point, Death charged at Laharl, but he lowered himself, ready to slam into the Reaper as it approached.

The prince was unable to act fast enough; however, when Grim leaped right over him, spun around in midair, and plunged the tip of the scythe right into his back, sending a massive amount of pain through his entire body. "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" The prince cried, falling to his knees. Death gripped the handle, and wrenched the blade in deeper, forcing more mind wracking pain into him. The soul stealing started, a light green aura forming around the weapon as it began drawing out Laharl's very essence, soon to cast him off into his final resting place.

"N…n…NO!" He could do nothing. The pain was too intense, and every passing second that the reaper drained, he felt weaker, felt like he was slipping away. He could see his hands, and as he watched them, they were rapidly growing old, as his life force was being taken away. _This is crazy! I miss one step and now I'm going to disappear forever? What the heck was all that 'save us all' crap? What use was all that when I'm just gonna die for good anyways? _"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF OF ME! STOP THIS NOW! I COMMAND YOU!"

But the reaper did not cease, and continued to take the very core of Laharl's being into his blade. "Go peacefully with it, Overlord. Do not struggle; it will only prolong your suffering. Your eternity awaits you. Allow it to happen." Could he have lost so easily? Could any of this be real? Was he really going to fade away now, and never see the light of day again? He was getting weaker every moment. His eternity, he could feel it, was drawing nearer. Maybe he should just let it happen. Maybe this was really it. _Just…just forget it…it's over…_

Laharl fell facedown, his eyes growing heavy with each passing moment. "That's good, Prince. Do not struggle. It will all be over in a minute." His time was nearing, closer and closer. But still, time was time, and he could still think. _…am I really THIS dumb? Is this how I'm going to be remembered? …and my friends…Damnit! My friends! They still need me! I can't just sit here and fade away! Hell no! _"…Ergghhh….STOP IT! I COMMAND YOU TO STOP IT NOW! NO MORE OF THIS!"

It still went on, and Grim shook his head, sighing. "I was hoping you were going peaceful on me. But no matter how hard you try, you're mine now." The beastly voice emitted a soft chuckle.

…_no…no I…NO! I'm…I'm the overlord…I command the netherworld…I command the demons…I command you… _Laharl was angry now. A powerful fury was building up inside of him, and as it did, the trail of green energy began to turn a deep, dark red. _I make the damn rules around here…not this stupid freak! My word is law… _Sparks began to run up the length of the scythe, and the Reaper grunted in annoyance.

"My….my word…is law…" He paused for a moment, as he mustered the strength, and slowly rose to his feet, the red trails of energy now traveling back into his body, the aging process reversing. "You're just…a minion…you're just a pawn…you cannot kill me…" The Prince's voice was ripe with authority and anger. Grim tried to maintain the flow of soul stealing, increasing his effort, but it was to no avail, as the Prince reached behind him, and tore out the scythe from his back, not even wincing in pain as the gash grew larger. He turned slowly, to face the reaper, now holding his scythe.

"I command you reaper…I command you, FALL BEFORE ME!" Laharl's eyes lit up with a blood red rage, and he held his arms out, using pure force of will to slam the reaper harshly into the ground, pinning it and preventing it from moving. A dark red aura flowed about the prince, streaks of red lightning crackling around him.

"You…you cannot do this…all must obey the laws of death…you cannot break these laws!" The reaper almost seemed to be pleading at this point. But Laharl would have none of it, pushing forward another force of will that pressed the reaper even harder into the floor; nearly crushing it's ribcage in the process.

"I make the laws. And I BREAK the laws!" Having said this, he slowly raised the scythe above his knee, before bringing it down, snapping it cleanly in half, causing the remainder of his life force left within it to flow out and back inside him, rejuvenating him completely and only adding to his fury fueled power.

"No…what are you doing?" Grim cried, as the prince tossed the pieces of the Scythe away, and slowly raised the reaper up off the ground, using only his anger reinforced will to do so.

"AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Overlord laughed in triumph, as he threw Grim off into the distance, and spread his arms wide, before bringing them close together again, causing a myriad of energy spheres to simultaneously appear and converge on the reaper, crushing the entity between the orbs of energy, and resulting in a massive explosion that left nothing but smoke and particles in it's wake.

A wide grin crossed the powered up Prince's face, and his aura slowly died away, eye color returning to normal. "Man…what an idiot." Rolling his eyes, he looked around for a moment, before grinning wide. "I knew I was an awesome Overlord from the start. I should have the demons build me a statue just to honor how great I am." He held a thumbs-up symbol with his hand, and chuckled menacingly.


	6. NOTICE PLEASE READ

Sorry, but gotta use a CHAPTER space to make an announcement about my story.

I have moved my story to my DeviantART page and I plan to continue writing it at a leisurely pace from there. The URL of the page is in my profile.


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